Behind the Lens: Like a pro

Photographer Patrick Tehan got an assignment that involved an Olympic volleyball player and a challenge. He rose to the occasion and created a strong portrait of a local legend. Read about it below.

Olympic beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings was photographed in Los Gatos, Calif., Thursday, June 23, 2016. Walsh Jennings will attempt to become a four-time gold medalist in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games this month. (Patrick Tehan/Bay Area News Group)

Photo by reporter Elliott Almond

By Patrick Tehan
Recently I had an opportunity to photograph beach volleyball great Kerri Walsh Jennings. The only problem was that the shoot had to take place near an event she was attending. So I had to set up a studio of sorts in the hallway of a local middle school. I needed something for her to sit on and ended up using a recycling bin with some copier paper stacked on top. When she arrived she was being shadowed by a five-person video crew filming a documentary for NBC. Fortunately, she couldn’t have been nicer or more down-to-earth. I showed her the photos as I was shooting and when I figured I had what I needed I thanked her for her time. And then she raised one of her long arms and I got a high-five from a three-time Olympic gold medalist. Nice!

To read the story by Elliott Almond that accompanied this portrait, click here.